Sioux Falls, S.D. – The Sioux Falls Stampede were shut out by the Eastern Conference's second-place team, the Youngstown Phantoms, in a penalty-ridden matchup. Tensions ran high as 74 penalty minutes were assessed and 12 power plays were awarded. Goaltender Aiden Wright made 15 saves against his former team to keep the Stampede in the game.

The first period set the tone for the rest of the game. Youngstown dominated puck possession early until 8:42, when Phantoms defenseman Kaz Sobieski was sent to the penalty box for interference. Just over a minute later, Herd forward Ritter Coombs was called for boarding. As tensions continued to escalate, another Phantom, Coleson Hanrahan, received a penalty at 10:31 for what appeared to be a cross-check to Noah Urness's face. The play was reviewed for a five-minute major but remained a two-minute high-sticking call. The Stampede had a brief 5-on-3 advantage before the game transitioned to 4-on-4 play and then back to a power play for the Herd. Before the power play expired, the Phantoms committed a slew-foot penalty against Javon Moore along the boards, sparking a scrum. After review, Luke Santilli was given a five-minute major and a game misconduct for slew-footing. Sioux Falls failed to capitalize and instead surrendered a couple of shorthanded opportunities, though Aiden Wright made key saves to keep the scoreboard blank. The Stampede outshot the Phantoms 8-3 in the opening frame.

The second period saw even more penalties. Just 2:35 into the period, the Stampede went on their first full penalty kill when forward Noah Urness was assessed a minor for cross-checking. Shortly after, Anthony Bongo was called for slashing, while Youngstown's Ryan Rucinski received an embellishment penalty on the same play. Twenty seconds into the 4-on-4 sequence, Stampede captain Bryce Ingles committed interference. The Phantoms capitalized on the 4-on-3 advantage, scoring their first goal 40 seconds later. Sioux Falls continued to struggle with penalties, as Aiden Welch was called for roughing at 9:38 following a scrum behind the Youngstown net. After successfully killing the penalty, the Stampede earned their fourth power play of the night when the Phantoms were penalized for too many men on the ice. However, their power play struggles continued, and they failed to convert. At 16:26, chaos erupted in the Youngstown crease as the Stampede battled to get on the scoreboard. Instead, with 52 seconds remaining in the period, the Phantoms extended their lead to 2-0 on an odd tip-in in front of Aiden Wright. The goal was reviewed for a potential high stick but was ultimately upheld. Despite outshooting Youngstown 12-8, Sioux Falls entered the third period down by two goals.

The final period followed the same pattern as the rest of the game. Just 55 seconds into the frame, Filip Nordberg was called for tripping, but the Stampede successfully killed off the penalty. At 4:03, Jack Willson was sent to the box for cross-checking, which did little to help the Stampede's chances. Mere seconds after his penalty expired, the Phantoms took advantage of a Sioux Falls line change to net their third goal. In a last-ditch effort, the Stampede pulled goaltender Aiden Wright with 8:23 remaining, but Youngstown secured their first empty-net goal. At 14:19, former Stampede player Kaz Sobieski received his second penalty of the night for checking from behind. Wright left the net again to give Sioux Falls a 6-on-4 advantage, but Youngstown capitalized with a second empty-net goal, bringing the final score to 5-0.

Tensions peaked with just under three minutes left in regulation. Youngstown's Michael Mesic and Sioux Falls' Ben Wilmott received double minors for roughing, while Ritter Coombs was ejected with two game misconducts—one for head contact and another for abuse of an official. The Stampede closed out the game on the penalty kill due to Coombs' head contact penalty. After a total of 74 penalty minutes were assessed in Sioux Falls' 5-0 defeat. 

Sioux Falls outshot Youngstown 31-20.

Goaltender Aiden Wright made 15 saves against his former team. He now holds a 20-8-3-0 record with a .905 save percentage.

The Stampede and Phantoms will face off again tomorrow at 6:05 p.m. for Stomp's Birthday Bash! The first 500 fans in attendance will receive the next set of 2024-25 Stampede trading cards thanks to Midwestern Mechanical. The evening will feature entertainment for the entire family, including Mr. Twister, a scavenger hunt, the return of the iconic Cake Smash, and Mascot Musical Chairs. Stomp will be joined by several mascot and clown friends. Join us for the biggest birthday party of the year by clicking here or calling the Stampede office at (605) 275-4625.